Exceptional wines in exceptional weather
If we’d been able to harvest the grapes at the end of August 2025, this vintage report would have been considerably shorter. In fact, three words would have sufficed: ‘Nothing out of the ordinary.’
For up until that point, everything had gone according to plan. Budbreak was normal. There was neither late frost nor drought stress. The good, consistent water supply and the necessary amount of sunshine had allowed the berries to thrive and ripen wonderfully. It was a joy to walk through the vineyards at the end of August – perfect grapes everywhere.
We were expecting an early harvest. What we hadn’t reckoned with was a harvest taking place under extreme conditions. The reason: in September, a rain front set in the likes of which had rarely been seen since regular measurements began in 1881. In some areas, up to 200 litres of rainfall fell per square metre – the usual figure is 60 litres a month.
This marked the start of a race against time. All the grapes actually had to be harvested at the same time to prevent rot from spreading. But that alone was not enough. For our premium wines, we had to select the grapes meticulously. In doing so, we followed the tried-and-tested motto of the Trier Episcopal Vineyards: high quality is more important than high yields.
Nevertheless, the yield for Riesling and the Burgundy varieties is satisfactory. The rapid pace of the harvest – all the vines had been harvested by 7 October – prevented any serious problems. At Scharzhofberg, we left some botrytised grapes on the vines until 15 and 16 October. The reward for our efforts: this top vineyard will once again yield a Beerenauslese and a Trockenbeerenauslese.
But the estate wines and Kabinetts are also impressive. The quality of this vintage is very good across the board. So, in the end, the hard work in September and October, during which our helpers in the vineyard pushed themselves to their physical limits, has paid off. The 2025 vintage is one that already shows great promise.